New Haven Independent

Posted by: Alphonse Credenza | November 13, 2008 1:47 PM

The remaining Register workers will now focus on growing the revenue stream with redoubled emphasis on coupon inserts, obituary sales and outrageously large type-face headlines, like:

DUNKIN' MUNCHKINS POPULAR, STUDY SAYS

Posted by: Kyle | November 13, 2008 2:49 PM

Too bad about Ives. It is a New Haven institution, founded by Hobart B. Ives in 1876. I'd venture that almost every house in the country has a solid brass Ives coat hook, door hinge or window latch somewhere. Now we'll have to ship them over from the other side of the world. But perhaps Ingersoll-Rand was doing that already.

There is a great picture of the old Ives factory in Wooster Square at CT History Online.

Posted by: Beansie's Mom | November 13, 2008 4:33 PM

I have no sympthay at all for IVES. They let my father go with just months to go before he was vested in the retirement plan. Just under 10 years to that was about 20 years ago.

YOU reap what you SOW.

I suggest that the Economic Development office get it's act in gear.

Posted by: Peter | November 13, 2008 4:56 PM

What ashame about the Register employees. Their parent company stripped the paper and make millions of dollars leaving New Haven readers with an inferior product. Let's hope that someone will buy the publication and restore it to its old glory or at least a viable web site

Posted by: Mr. Stephen Peter Ross | November 13, 2008 5:01 PM

I'm sorry you got canned, friends.

Play was at first terrible. Then it became forgivable ("it's all AP, so what the hell"). Then I turned to it more often than the Advocate for its quality music section and that peculiar streak of Gilbertian absurdity. It was really enjoyable to read; I think this sentiment might be shared among many in our fair berg.

Fond adieu! Well, time to start a zine. Or contibute the ReNew or the others that pop up here and there.

Who has a bookpress and can perfectbind?

Posted by: Bill | November 13, 2008 6:26 PM

Mr. S.P. Ross -

I contributed to ReNew and thought it was a great alternative to the other local news/arts sources.

However, if Paul Bass has taught us anything from this site, it's that print media is dead. Start an online pub. if you want results!

Posted by: JP | November 13, 2008 8:24 PM

I hope someone will make sure they collect all the play newspaper boxes around town instead of leaving them around to rot.

Posted by: mindoflen | November 13, 2008 8:55 PM

Abe Katz is a talented journalist who deserves better than his layoff at the Register.
Nearly 20 years ago, he found his niche on the science beat and ran with it. I'm surprised that he hadn't moved on. With his talent and quick and slightly off-beat intellect, he should have been at one of the big dailies. But then again, even those papers are bleeding staff.
I'm sorry, Abe. About 18 years ago, I was in the same boat. I survived and prospered and you will, too. You had a good run.
Sic transit gloria mundi.
For some thoughts about the two newspapers the Journal-Register will close early next year: http://mindoflen.blogspot.com

Posted by: fedupwithliberals | November 13, 2008 10:00 PM

Not surprising. No real hard hitting news stories that poke into the local administration to expose corruption, nothing about Dodd, no dots connected. Just rehashed sanitized news stories from the day before. Only reason we look at the Register is for obits and real estate transactions.

You want to sell papers? Start reporting the truth about what's happening around town. People will read an indepth hard hitting investigative piece that puts bad guys in jail.

Posted by: iwasthere | November 14, 2008 8:41 AM

Sorry for the job losses. Companies need to tighten there belts. Businesses need to see relief from the tax burden. City and State are able to do this. But City makes no leaway for companies to stay. Taxes are cheaper else where. This is a global market not just a regional one. Both the city mayor and state reps need to cut spending. See what happens when we share our wealth. We loose jobs on top of tax revenues brought in by these jobs. Now we are in a lose lose situation. Now we will cry for a piece of the 750 billion dollar bailout like other cities are doing. We need to stop spending, cut taxes and try to keep jobs here.

Posted by: Afissimamada | November 14, 2008 9:24 AM

My father has been with IVES since he touched foot on American soil like 30 years ago. As an immigrant and as the only income provider to a 5 person household, he had to work hard and long yes, but none-the-less for people like him, and I know a large population of the workers there fit into the no-education, immigrant category, it was a secure and definite way to live, raise your children, have medical coverage-- and eat. Now, they will be thrown into a job market that mostly requires a skilled and educated group -- OBAMA has a miracle to work..

- afiss i sorida

Posted by: Johnny | November 14, 2008 9:36 AM

Someone should really pick up Craig Gilbert asap, he was the only thing that made Play worth reading.

Posted by: elmcityguy | November 14, 2008 10:58 AM

I'm glad I'm not the only one who'll miss Craig Gilbert's writing. He's the only reason I read Play.

Posted by: Jonathryn | November 14, 2008 11:01 AM

The Register just simply has to go. It's a terrible rag that doesn't accomplish its basic function: to report the news of New Haven. Instead, it is replete with puff pieces, irrelevant "news," and coffee klatch junk like "what to do with beets," and celebrity gossip. We need a daily broadsheet that does serious investigative journalism, detailed in-depth stories examining community problems, and that acts as a forum to flush out corrupt local officials and agencies. It should also reflect the New Haven community's views. Instead we have an out-of-state owner scribing conservative anti-immigrant editorial diatribes straight from the kneejerk reactionary xenophobic GOP politburo.

The business managers are from the old school where everyone gives ad and subscription dollars to the only show in town. But part of that old bargain was that we got local, state, national, and international news. But they cut and cut and cut to the point where there's no reason to buy the paper any more; they let down their part of the bargain, and they're finding out that when they fall flat on the job, nobody owes them anything.

Posted by: Mister Jones | November 14, 2008 1:10 PM

Sorry Bill, but Paul Bass isn't teaching us much about "results" (i.e. profits) in the online news biz, not with the non-profit, no real advertising, subsidized Independent. Don't get me wrong, I think he's doing great work here, but the lesson may well be that doing news is no longer a good business model, in print, on air or even online.

Posted by: Eddie | November 15, 2008 1:48 AM

Best wishes to Abe, Craig and the rest. What a raw deal for a couple of truly talented people. JRC is possibly the worst company I've ever seen. Its business model was to cannibalize its own products, and here the tradition continues -- saving a few dimes by getting rid of some of the best people on the staff.

Posted by: Walt | November 15, 2008 11:23 AM

Mindoflen

Re your quote "Sic Transit Gloria Mundi", sorry Gloria got sick on the bus Monday, but what has that got to do with the Register or Ives?

Seems significant that the Register emphasized Ingersol- Rand closing on their storirs and I dont believe ever mentioned Ives, the only name familiar to New Havenites. The Register is sort of out of touch.

Paul's coverage of the story on this site was much better

My guess is someone will buy the Register in the near future, and hopefully will find a new "Bob Leeney" to guide it. A helluva guy!

Wont miss Beach or the other ultra-lib local columnist if they disappear in the shuffle.

If they would stick to their basic people and entertainment pitches and not continually inflict their political opinions on us the paper would be better, though.

Posted by: robn | November 15, 2008 5:22 PM

We would have healthy manufacturing here if China weren't allowed (by both the Clinton and Bush administrations) to manipulate their currency. In effect, they're printing money to continue the US trade deficit. I actually don't feel so bad if the rest of the world gets to feel the pain of the US financial crisis, becausse most western nations are knee deep in the same Chinese investment thats gutting American manufacturing.

Posted by: StarbuckWild | November 16, 2008 3:09 AM

They canned the science writer and the reporter at the state capitol so they could concentrate on the "nuts and bolts" of their communities. Nuts and dolts is more like it. By the time JRC ceases to exist in New Haven the expression 'don't let the door hit you on the way out' will no longer apply. With Ives also gone, there won't be any hinges to hang a door on. You can hang your hat on those words. Or maybe no, you cannot do that either...

Posted by: that Craig guy | November 18, 2008 10:57 AM

The darkly amusing part of the lay-off was that on Wednesday (the day before the three of us were bounced), PLAY and the Registro staff were given a printer in our office; the first time the two papers were able to print anything from their computers.
I thank the folks above for the kind words and for reading the paper. You proved me wrong in thinking that just my Mom read PLAY out of maternal obligation. We (but more so Managing Editor Jeffery Petrin) consciously pushed the paper in a new direction, away from the "Woo Hoo..Titties and Crown Street" content it contained in the past. I smile that some of y'all spied that. HUGE thanks to you.

And Paul...sorry I didn't return your call. Your message got partially eaten by my phone-machine thing and I couldn't find your number.

Posted by: Chris Gray | November 18, 2008 1:35 PM

Damn, I feel really bad about being so distracted by the steroids as to neglect your part in the story Craig.

As you can probably guess, with my withdrawal from the dance, it has been harder to concentrate on your journalistic interests and product but I have always known of your talent and great sensibilities. You're not just a good writer, editor, cartoonist and social critic; you are to my knowledge a very fine person.

It is a real shame to lose your insights, but as my entire screed today points out, I have every confidence you will continue to make your voice heard!

Of course, I also tend to be prejudiced in favor of people with the initials CG.

Posted by: homer | November 29, 2008 8:27 PM

... There have been a string of layoffs starting two-and-a-half years ago, so these guys [at the Register] should see it coming. As a former employee, I know that many of the staffers make no effort to look for another job, or aren't willing to relocate and just sit around the office hoping someone will buy the paper and save their jobs. How naive is that? ...

Posted by: Phil Blumenkrantz | December 5, 2008 7:42 PM

The Rag was doggy doo deep in compromise long before I landed in it in the late 70's. Reporters willingly (occasionally, fleetingly unwillingly) got down on all fours at the altar of the corporate flavor of the month be it Yale, New Haven Hospital, Michael Milken or Ben DiLieto.

Covering consumer affairs (my beat**) was like writing an integrity journal for Fast Eddie's Pre-owned Autos. I dared not f with anyone who put up than a trace amount of display advertising.

Sorry to see Abe (the Rag's Beckett and a great friend) go though. By the way, the title of the video referred to by Len Honeyman (who did a great cameo as a bone pulverizer salesman) was Lost in a Bucket. Copies are available for $100,000 - sorry, Beta only.

--Phil Blumenkrantz

**Beat, n. - A then-popular construct whereby a reporter would take a few moments and develop relationships and expertise to lend context** to coverage of an assigned subject area.

**Context, n - (removed from AP Stylebook)

--Phil Blumenkrantz